IS FLORIDA FOOTBALL BETTER THAN SEX?...NEW COACH, NEW ERA IN KENTUCKY BASKETBALL...GOLF ON THE TUBE...DEEP BLUE BEATS KASPAROV...REMEMBERING DEVANEY...YOUNG TENNIS ACE

"Shall I compare thee to a Wuerffel play?/Thou cans't be aslovely or as temp'rate...." To judge from the results of arecent study at the University of Florida, that's howShakespeare's famous love sonnet might have begun had the Bardbeen a Gator fan.

Charles Hillman, a Florida graduate student in sportspsychology, measured the emotional and physiological responsesof 50 men and women to a variety of photographic images thatincluded erotic subjects and Gator sporting events. The results,when it came to the emotional responses, confirm what visitorsto the Swamp have suspected all along. As a university pressrelease proudly put it, "For die-hard Gator fans, seeing theirfavorite team in action is better than sex."

The 50 volunteers were categorized by fan level--low, moderateor high--and then hooked up to instruments measuring heart rateand brain activity. They were asked to view a series of slideswhile using a joystick to rate their reactions on two scales,one ranging from very unpleasant to very pleasant, the otherfrom calm to excited. The slides included images of Florida andnon-Florida sports events, photos of people in "amoroussituations," scenes of violence, and "neutral" pictures ofhousehold objects and the like.

All three categories of fans reacted more or less the same tothe non-Gator photos, but when Hillman flashed up images of IkeHilliard snagging a pass in the end zone or Danny Wuerffelgiving thanks after throwing a touchdown, the rabid Gator fans"showed significantly higher physiological reactions." Hillmanalso used what scientists call a startle probe--a suddennoise--to test how completely absorbed in the Florida photos theGator fans were. In deeply engaged subjects, a startle probewill cause less brain wave activity than it normally would.

The probe barely sidetracked devout Florida boosters. "You couldsay that there were fewer brain resources available," said BruceCuthbert, a professor of clinical and health psychology atFlorida, "when the Gator pictures were on the screen."

That would come as no surprise to fans of, say, FloridaState--where, by the way, Hillman is conducting a second study.

A PIVOTAL MOMENT

Kentucky's fabled basketball coach, Adolph Rupp, may have waiteduntil 1969 to sign his first African-American player, but in theensuing 27 years the racial composition of the Wildcats' teamshad so changed--under coach Rick Pitino, Kentucky started fiveblack players in winning the 1996 NCAA title--that it wassurprising to see race arise as an issue last week. With Pitinohaving left the Wildcats for the Boston Celtics (page 54),Kentucky hired Tubby Smith, an African-American, away fromGeorgia to replace him. Although the hiring of a black coachwouldn't create a stir at other major colleges, this isKentucky, and the notion of an African-American filling Rupp'shallowed position seemed to revive old debates.

The concerns were raised in the pages of the LexingtonHerald-Leader last Friday. Wrote Don Edwards, a white columnist,"Before Rick Pitino, the very idea [of a black coach atKentucky] would have generated...private debate ('Are we reallyready for that?') in a town with two Confederate statues on thecourthouse lawn. After Pitino, it's different. The whole senseof possibility is different. Pitino changed Kentucky more thanKentucky changed Pitino."

Robert Campbell, a black editorial writer, offered a vote ofconfidence in the tolerance of Wildcats fans, writing, "Ibelieve Kentucky is ready," then undercut it with aparenthetical "regardless of whether most Kentuckians themselvesrealize it."

And Merlene Davis, a black columnist, doubted whether Lexingtonwill welcome its groundbreaking coach. She addressed Smith in anopen letter, "I want to urge you to stay where you are....Kentucky fans aren't ready for a black head coach. Kentucky fansaren't ready for anybody to coach basketball but Rick Pitino...Isincerely fear for your safety and the safety of your family ifyou agree to become head coach."

At the press conference to announce his hiring on Monday, Smithseemed proud--and unthreatened--by his place in Kentuckyhistory. "It's certainly an honor to be the first black headcoach here," he said, "but it's more important to be competent."

NICER GUYS FINISH FIRST

Hockey writers have selected Washington Capitals center AdamOates as a finalist for the NHL's Lady Byng trophy, which goesto a star player who exhibits "gentlemanly conduct." In factOates, who is up against co-finalists Paul Kariya and TeemuSelanne of the Anaheim Ducks, has been the runner-up to adifferent Byng winner each of the past four seasons. Yup, yearin and year out, that Adam Oates sure is the second-nicest guyin the NHL.

TV TEES IT UP

After 12 days of negotiations in New York City, the PGA Tourstruck deals last week assigning the television rights to itstournaments from 1999 through 2002. The Tour also struck itrich, reaping $200 million annually in rights fees from ABC,CBS, NBC and cable networks ESPN, USA and the Golf Channel.

Although the terms of those agreements show that the Tour issmall potatoes compared with the three major sportingattractions in the U.S.--the NFL ($1.1 billion a year in TVmoney), Major League Baseball ($340 million) and the NBA ($275million plus a share of advertising revenue)--it will receivenearly twice as much per annum than it's getting under itscurrent contracts. Most of that money will go to the players.Commissioner Tim Finchem predicts that by the year 2000 theaverage Tour purse will also almost double, to more than $3million.

Part of that windfall is attributable to Tiger Woods, who hashelped lift ratings; the '97 Masters was the most-watched golftournament in history. "Had Tiger stayed at Stanford, we stillwould have come out well," Finchem said in announcing the newdeals. "But having a player who moves the needle on the ratingslike he does certainly helped."

DEVANEY DEPARTS

Last spring Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost was walking out ofthe Memorial Stadium locker room in Lincoln when he bumped intoBob Devaney. Looking frail and sallow, Devaney greeted Frost byname and told him to keep working on his passing touch. A fewminutes later Frost turned to a companion and gushed, "Can youbelieve that Bob Devaney actually knows my name! Unbelievable."

Frost was far from the only one in Lincoln who stood in awe ofDevaney. Clad in his scarlet fedora and blazer, flashing hisIrish wit, Devaney, who died of cardiac arrest last Friday atthe age of 82, won back-to-back national championships in 1970and '71 and is the person most responsible for building the BigRed football program into a powerhouse. He had a record of101-20-2 at Nebraska from '62 to '72, and from '67 to '93 servedas the Cornhuskers' athletic director. "He's the only mentor Iever had," said his successor as coach, Tom Osborne, on Sunday,his voice cracking. "My philosophical approach to football ishis. He's the one who brought the hard-nosed style to Nebraska,and it's the same style we play today."

It is a style that reflected Devaney's toughness; he boxedduring his days at Alma (Mich.) College, using the moniker DukeDevaney. In his first year at Lincoln, Devaney drove theCornhuskers to a 9-2 record, their best in 23 seasons. In 1969he was bold enough to adopt a relatively new formation, the I,and then he rounded up the huge linemen his version of the Irequired to open holes for star backs like Jeff Kinney, JerryTagge and Johnny Rodgers. While he was known for running a tightsideline during games, Devaney rarely called the plays. A youngassistant named Tom Osborne did that from the press box.

LITTLE GIRL BIG

When Mirjana Lucic was four years old she sneaked into thefamily car so she could tag along to the local tennis club,where her nine-year-old sister, Anna, was taking lessons. "I wassad because all I had to do was play in front of the house andmy sister was down there with a lot of kids having fun," saysMirjana, recalling her upbringing near the coastal town of Splitin southern Croatia. "My father thought I was too young fortennis."

After that the father, Marinko, let Mirjana come along to theclub, where she happily fetched balls and water for Anna and theother players. Soon Mirjana announced that she wanted to play,too. When an instructor asked her how old she was--and warnedthat the club didn't allow players under five--"I smiled," saysMirjana, "and put up six fingers."

She may have needed a little stealth and guile to get started,but hard work is what brought Lucic her breakthrough tennisachievement. On May 4 she became the youngest non-U.S.-bornfemale singles champion in history when, at 15 years, twomonths, she won the Croatian Bol Ladies Open in her native land.She is also the first player to win in her pro debut. "I wasvery impressed with her presence," said Amanda Coetzer, theworld's 10th-ranked player, who lost to Lucic in a semifinal atBol. "The crowd was unbelievable, and she coped with thepressure well."

Always big for her age--she's now a muscular 5'10"--Mirjana haseasily overpowered opponents. She won the '96 U.S. Open and the1997 Australian junior titles, as well as some matches forCroatia in this year's Federation Cup, before her historic winat Bol. "She hits the ball big off the ground and with herheight has an advantage on the serve," says Chanda Rubin, whohas teamed with Lucic in doubles. "Those are the two mainingredients to being a top player. She's had a great start. I'mcurious to see how well she does from here."

COLOR ILLUSTRATION: ILLUSTRATION BY VICTOR JUHASZ [Drawing of University of Florida student with alligator head looking past picture of woman in bikini at picture of football player]

COLOR PHOTO: JIM GUND The hiring of Smith revived issues of race in Kentucky. [Tubby Smith]COLOR PHOTO: BILL JOHNSON [Catfish]COLOR PHOTO: BOB MARTIN Lucic, a 15-year-old from Croatia, became the first player to win in her pro debut. [Mirjana Lucic playing tennis]

GO FIGURE

237Playoff games appeared in by NBA Hall of Famer KareemAbdul-Jabbar, a record in any U.S. sport.

231Playoff games appeared in by New York Rangers center MarkMessier as of Sunday.

0Percentage of his $825 million fortune, most of which he left tocharity, that late Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cookewilled to his four ex-wives.

63Hours of national TV coverage planned for the Indy 500.

0Caution flags in Saturday's Winston 500, the first time in 137starts that a Winston Cup race has finished without a caution.

583Tickets per minute sold by the Carolina Panthers in the twohours after they made their last 70,000 tickets available forthe 1997 season.

205Countries in which major league baseball telecasts are available.

36Minnesota Twins front-office workers who went to Fargo, N.Dak.,on May 6 to assist flood victims.

8Semitrailers filled with household goods that the workersunloaded.

THE MONEY MAKERS

Michael Jordan may be the highest-paid athlete on earth,counting salary, bonuses and endorsements, but when it comes topure prize money, 16-year-old tennis player Martina Hingistakes, well, the prize. She has pocketed more in purses thisyear than any other two-legged athlete. (Thoroughbred Sing Spielgalloped off with $2.4 million in the Dubai Cup alone.) Here arethe top 10 human money winners in sports, through the first 19weeks of 1997.

Down around Greenville, Miss., Ken Cazalas was known as "thefather of the catfish races." Cazalas, the longtime editor ofthe Delta Democrat Times who died two years ago, started thecity's annual catfish derby in 1985 as a charity event. Thisyear's edition, held last Saturday and renamed the Ken CazalasMemorial Grand Prix, drew 200 bewhiskered racers and featured 35fin-twitching heats in a 10-foot tank divided into racing lanesand set on the courthouse lawn. Top dog among the cats wasDelta's Super Powered Cat (below).

THIS WEEK'S SIGN THAT THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US

The zoning rights for a $525 million football stadium in SanFrancisco have been jeopardized because the birthday party of apolitical consultant who supports the stadium featured dancersfrom a local strip club, a performance artist who urinated on asatanic priest and decorations that included inflatable plasticpenises.

THEY SAID IT

Kevin MitchellCleveland Indians outfielder, on why he eats Vick's VapoRub: "Mygrandmother told me it was good for colds. It sure blows outthose sinuses."